


Okay, but what if it works?

by Cantmakeachoice



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-23 09:37:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18150170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantmakeachoice/pseuds/Cantmakeachoice
Summary: When Nico answered the call and Karolina asked her if she was going to the party, she said yes in a heartbeat, suddenly not hating the party so much. Okay, so maybe she was just exited to spend time with Karolina, wherever that was. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. She wouldn’t even accept it herself.Feelings are stupid.





	Okay, but what if it works?

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language. Also, this is my first ever fic. We'll see how it goes. Any kind of criticism is welcomed. I apologize for the mistakes.  
> Title was my temporary word document title, but I couldn't think of anything better. Sorry.  
> Let me know what you think. Good read.

“I hate being single”

  
“I thought you were the one who broke up with Julie” Nico states distractedly, trying to get Karolina to drink the bottle of water she handed her some time ago. The blonde had drank more than she should have. Of course that didn’t mean a lot, Karolina was a lightweight. But she was in denial and decided to make it her mission tonight to prove their friends she could handle her liquor. Well, given that now Karolina was laying on the sidewalk having a hard time keeping her eyes open, after only drinking five beers, it was safe to say she failed.

  
The party behind them was still on full blast. The music pumping so loud and the smell of alcohol and teenage hormones really drew the picture Nico expected of “what the fuck am I doing here?” She didn’t want to come. What was she doing here? But she knew the answer. It was always the same. Karolina.

  
Nico just wanted a calm night to relax after finals week. She planned on reading a book, watching some stupid reality show on Netflix and then soon succumb to sleep. But the rest of the school decided to celebrate by throwing a party in some jocks house. That include her friends, who insisted she needed to go with them.

  
While Chase and Alex only asked her once to go, immediately shutting up after she glared at them, Gert had other plans in mind. An unnecessary amount of texts and missed calls later, Nico blocked Gert on her phone, her patience running thin. She just wanted peace and quiet. If anyone asked her again about the damn party, she wasn’t going to take responsibility for their murder. When her phone rang again, Nico started debating what would be the best way to kill someone and get away with. She knew watching all those seasons of Dexter would come in handy.

  
She was about to answer the call, just to tell whoever it was (probably Gert on Chase’s phone) to go to Hell. But when she read Karolina’s name on her caller ID, she immediately relaxed, an involuntary smile spreading on her face. She tried keeping her breathing in check and stop her heart from doing that stupid thing where it raced every time she thought of the blonde. ‘She’s your friend. _Just_ your friend. Don’t ruin everything with stupid feelings’, Nico repeated her mantra for what felt like the thousandth time. When she answered the call and Karolina asked her if she was going to the party, she said yes in a heartbeat, suddenly not hating the party so much. Okay, so maybe she was just exited to spend time with Karolina, wherever that was. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. She wouldn’t even accept it herself.

  
And so, Nico came to the party. She regretted it immediately when she saw the sea of people, way past drunk, some grinding like animals in heat in the middle of the dance floor, some proving stupidity didn’t have limits. She wanted to leave. She didn’t know why she came. She turns around to head back outside, and she’s confronted with the reason why she came. Karolina. Looking like a real live Disney princess. Well, more than usually.

  
‘Don’t stare! You are _friends_. Don’t mess this up.’ Nico bit her lip, trying to stop herself from doing something reckless like telling Karolina that she was the most beautiful living being she ever met and how she couldn’t think straight when she was around or, even worse, kiss her or something. Not that it has crossed her mind. She didn’t have feelings for her _friend_. She couldn’t have. Things would only get awkward. Karolina didn’t like her back. She was going to lose her. And she couldn’t handle that.

  
Feelings are stupid.

  
They moved around the party together the whole time. Despite the soft smiles Nico would throw Karolina’s way when she couldn’t fight them, she tried to convince herself that the only reason she didn’t leave the taller girl’s side was because Karolina trying to prove she wasn’t a lightweight was only accomplishing showing how fast she gets drunk. Nico didn’t even finish her first beer, just tried to slow Karo down and stop her from doing anything alcohol induced crazy. But after beer number five, Nico decided it was best to take the blonde home. She grabbed a bottle of water and Gert’s car keys, and they left the house, sitting just outside so Karolina could sober a bit up.

  
“Yeah. I mean… Sure, but…Well, tec – technically, yes. But, still, being single is uhhh. Single sucks. Relationships sucks. Everything sucks!” Karolina slurs her words. Nico thinks is kinda cute.

  
“You know what sucks?” Nico starts, looking down at the other girls features, who has her head resting on Nico’s legs and her eyes half lidded, too drunk to care that she’s laying on some dirty sidewalk, just in front of a house filled with wasted people from their school. “Hangovers. So, please, just drink the water. It will help. You’re going to thank me tomorrow”. Karolina finally raises the bottle to her lips and takes a couple of sips, seeming to be deep in thought. Some of the water slips down the corner of her mouth, and Nico can’t help but stare at it. She watches as a drop traces Karolina’s neck and she feels unreasonably jealous of it.

  
“How do you do it?” Karolina suddenly asks, distracting Nico from thoughts she shouldn’t be having.

  
“What? Not get drunk? I’m not a lightweight” Nico mocks, pushing the water bottle back at the other girl so she would keep drinking.

  
“Hey! I’m not a lightweight! Didn’t you see how I totally drank so much alcohol without even getting tipsy?” Karolina says, smiling proudly, her eyes now fully opened, but a bit clouded.

  
“Ok, we really have to talk about what do you consider ‘so much’ and ‘tipsy’.” Nico jokes. “But also, what is the point of drinking like crazy? You know you don’t have to drink to have fun, right? And you don’t have to prove anything to anyone, ok?” She continues, on a more serious note, needing to make sure Karolina wasn’t doing anything she didn’t want to, needing to make sure she was comfortable and that she was safe. She would fight the whole world to make sure the blonde was happy.

  
“I know.” Karolina answers softly with a small smile, staring intensely up at Nico. “But that’s not what I meant. I meant: how do you get over your breakups so easily?”

  
“What? It’s not easy. Is anything easy in life?” She answers, trying to deflect. She’s getting nervous. This conversation taking a dangerous turn to a topic she has been trying to avoid. Bringing to the surface feelings she was supposed to ignore.

  
“Please.” Karolina scoffs. “I am your best friend, I know you. You weren’t really affected by the end of your past relationships. How come?”

  
Karolina was right. They were best friends. But what once seemed like an excuse, now just feels like the perfect reason to having the lines of friendship blur. And, oh, how Nico wanted that. She wanted more. She wanted it all with Karolina. She wanted her. There’s no ignoring that anymore. She couldn’t ignore it when blue eyes seemed to be piercing through her soul, a soft smile making her forget how to breathe. But she was still afraid. Too scared by how strong she felt for the girl staring back at her expectantly. It was overwhelming. Too scared her feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. Her chest tightens at the thought. Too scared to say anything. She is a coward.

  
“I guess I just wasn’t that invested in them” Nico replies, looking away. Her mind is just a mess of jumbled thoughts. Indecision clouding her mind.

  
“What do you mean?” Karolina reaches for the other girl’s hand, sensing she was distraught. Nico stares at their interlocked hands. Her skin burns, there are goosebumps all over her body, her heart seems to be trying to jump out of her chest. And she knows. She knows what she wants.

  
The last shred of doubt is gone when she looks at those intense ocean eyes she loves so much. They were best friends. Therefore, Nico knew that when Karolina got really drunk, the next day she wouldn’t remember what happened the night before. So, like a coward, Nico decided to take advantage of that.

  
“I liked them, I really did. But it just didn’t get to the point where I could say I was in love.”

  
“You never loved any of your exes?” Karolina asks, taken aback. But there’s a glint in her eyes and a barely perceptible tug to the corner of her lips, almost excited, that gives Nico a speck of hope.

  
“Nope.” She pops the ‘p’. “Not really”

  
“Wait!” Karolina sits up in a beat, getting dizzy and letting go of Nico’s hand so she could find her balance on the ground. Once she recovers, she looks at Nico with an uncertain face. “Have you ever been in love?”

  
This was it. This was her opening. Or maybe it was her chance to bail. It was either have her first attempt at vulnerability or continue locking all these feelings in a box and shoving it away. She’s got issues. About talking about her feelings. Or just generally having them. But this is Karolina. And Karolina is special and kind and warm. Karolina is everything. Nico takes a deep breath, shaking a little. She has to tell Karolina. Let her know it was always her.

  
“I don’t know” She knows. “Maybe.” Definitely. “Yes.” Nico says softly. And it’s true. It’s the first time she has admitted it, and she feels light. She has been in love. Once.

  
“When?” Karolina questions, looking anywhere but at Nico. There’s a frown on her face and she’s fidgeting with her fingers.

  
Nico gets worried. She wants to reach out, but that seems like a bad idea. Maybe she made the wrong choice. She should have kept her mouth shut. But her uncontrollable need to comfort the other girl reminds her of all these feelings taking residency inside of her, threatening to rip her chest open and be set free. She had to finish what she started. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to breathe again. She waited until Karolina finally looked back at her, before answering.

  
“Now” Nico declares, looking straight into Karolina eyes. “I am in love right now.”

  
She hopes Karolina understands what she means, though she first looked surprise. She thinks Karolina understands, because now she’s smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes shine with what Nico thinks is hope, because she is sure they reflect her own eyes. Hope that maybe this could work. Hope that this love isn’t unrequited.

  
The air is thick. It seems like there’s electricity coursing between them. It feels like there’s nobody else in the world but the two of them, sitting on a sidewalk, lost in each other’s eyes. It is everything and it is nothing. Nico wants to be stuck in that moment forever, but she also wants more. She wants so much more.

  
Karolina starts leaning in, and Nico can’t help but do the same. The blonde always had a pull on her. Like they were magnets. Like they were destined to meet.

  
Nico was obsessed with Karolina’s eyes. She was sure nothing was better than being able to look into the deep blue eyes of the goddess in front of her. But with a quick glance down at her lips, Nico decides she doesn’t have to limit herself to only one obsession. She licks her lips in anticipation. The distance between them getting shorter and shorter by the second. Their faces are so close, she thinks she might faint. She can feel Karolina’s hot breath on her face, and she can’t stand the distance anymore. Nico reaches for Karolina’s cheek and pulls her in the final inch, so they can finally k –

  
“Hey, Nico! Good, you are still here. Change of plans, I’m not going to Chase’s anymore.”

  
They pull apart from each other, like they had been electrocuted, jumping back a few feet, putting some distance between them and looking anywhere but at each other. The air was heavy. Nico couldn’t focus on anything. Her lips were tingling, still waiting for a moment that was not to come. Her palms were sweating. Her heartbeat rang loud in her ears, deafening. She wanted to run away and hide. She felt like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. But she didn’t do anything wrong. Right?

  
“Is everything okay here?” Gert asks confused, distracting Nico from her trance. She looked from one girl to the other, trying to piece things together.

  
“There’s nothing wrong. What happened with Chase?” Nico dismisses quickly, trying to stir the conversation away from what had almost happened.

  
“Doesn’t matter.” Gert answers uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to get into the matter. “But really, what happened here?”

  
“Doesn’t matter.” Nico’s comeback is hard. She looks at Karolina, who is staring intensely at the ground. Nico’s heart aches. “We are leaving. Are you coming with?”

  
“Yeah. Are you okay, Karolina?”

  
“Uhum. Just a little drunk.” Karolina tells Gert, shrugging. “We should go.”

  
It’s then that it hits Nico: Karolina is drunk. She isn’t thinking clearly. Her choices are being clouded by the alcohol. Did she want to kiss Nico? Or was she too drunk to even realize what was going on? What was the take on consent there? Where did the line draw between consent and abuse? Did Nico cross the line? Was she about to take advantage of her friend if they hadn’t been interrupted? What was she doing? What the fuck was she doing?

  
They all settle into Gert’s car. Nico is driving, seeing as the other two girls were drunk. Though she isn’t sure if she was the best option, since she could barely focus. All she could think about is how she had fucked up. She felt dirty. Karolina had fallen asleep as soon as she got in the car, sprawled across the back sit. It was a statement to just how drunk she was. Nico felt sick. There was a weight setting on her shoulders, crushing her. She was suffocating.

  
And she deserved it.

  
Nico manages to get them to Gert’s without crashing. Though, to her, it feels like her world had crashed and exploded. Everything was now in flames. And she was burning in the middle of the chaos. Slowly and painfully. But it didn’t hurt as much as the guilt.

  
“Karolina, wake up. We’re here.” Gert shakes the girl awake. The blonde sits up, rubbing her eyes.

  
“Sleep?” She asks, her voice horse. A chill runs through Nico and she reproaches herself.

  
“Yes, in there” Gert answers, looking amused at her friend’s antics, and points to the house.

  
They get out of the car and into Gert’s house. They are about to head straight to Gert’s room, when Nico stops herself, needing a second to recompose.

  
“You go ahead. I’ll bring some water up for you.” She says, before heading to the kitchen.

  
When Nico is out of sight, she takes a deep breath. It feels like it’s the first time she had air in her lungs since forever. It doesn’t calm her. It feels toxic. She stumbles and has to hold on to the counter not to fall.

  
“Hey. Are you okay?” Nico whips around, startled. Gert is standing behind her, looking concerned.

  
“Yeah. Sorry, I’ll be up in a second.”

  
“Okay.” Gert looks like she wants to ask more, but she hesitates.

  
“Then I’m going to head out.”

  
“You can sleep here, you know”

 

“I’m going home” Nico answers, shaking her head.

  
“Did something happen between you and Karolina?”

  
“Nothing happened.” Thankfully. Nico didn’t know if she could handle hurting Karolina like that, if they hadn’t been interrupted.

  
“Nico…”

  
“Gert, please? Don’t!” She says in despair.

  
“Okay. Okay.” Gert relents, a worried expression plastered on her face. “Medicine is on that cabinet and there are water bottles on the fridge.”

  
“Thanks.” Nico also means thanks for letting the subject go. It was very unlike Gert and she really appreciated it.

  
“But, if you’d let me remind you,” Gert says on the doorway to the kitchen. So much for letting go. “Karolina cares for you deeply. She would put everything aside, in the blink of an eye, just to make sure you are okay. You’re her number one priority. But things can’t work out if you don’t open up. So, whatever happened, don’t shut her out. Don’t run. Don’t hide.”

  
“But…”

  
“No. No ‘but’s.” Gert interrupts Nico. “You know what? Fuck it. I’ll blame it on being drunk. She likes you, okay? Like, romantically, in case your hard head didn’t catch that. Apparently, you’re the last person to find out, because you can’t seem to get your head out of your ass. But she likes you, Nico. Don’t screw that up. Whatever is going on with you, snap out of it.” Gert tells her before leaving the kitchen and going upstairs.

  
Nico is left alone to her thoughts. Could it be true? It couldn’t be true, right? But what if it was true? It was everything she wanted. She could be happy with the girl of her dreams. But she had screwed up. Though Karolina might like her. But the timing had been wrong. Karolina was drunk. But, maybe, if she waited for the right moment, things might work out. Because, maybe, - just maybe – Karolina actually liked her back. Her heart jumped at the thought.

  
Nico gathers the pills and the water and heads upstairs. She stops at the door, attempting to take a calming breath. She fails, the short breath not even getting close to easing her nerves. So she just settles for not dying.

  
When she opens the door, Karolina is laying on the bed alone, wearing one of Gert’s pajamas. She smiles when she spots Nico on the doorway. The shorter girl instantly feels lighter and can’t help but smile back.

  
“Hey”

  
“Hey. Where’s Gert?” Nico asks, moving to Karolina’s side to settle the water bottles on the nightstand that was beside her.

  
“Bathroom. What took you so long?”

  
“Hey, I brought the stuff that’s going to stop you from dying tomorrow. If I were you, I’d be a little more appreciative. I could always take the stuff back.” Nico jokingly stars picking everything back up from the nightstand. Karolina grabs her wrist to stop her. The contact makes Nico’s skin burn. The good kind of burn again.

  
“No. I’m sorry. Thanks, Nico. You are the best.” Karolina smiles so bright, Nico thinks she might go blind. “You still took too long.” She says teasingly.

  
“Just take the pill, Dean.” Nico hands her the pill and a bottle of water. Karolina swallows the pill and hands the bottle back. “Nope. Keep drinking that. Finish it all.”

  
“I don’t want to. It’s too much.” Karolina whines.

  
“Stop acting like a baby, is just a bottle. You can do this, girl the hell up.” Nico pushes the bottle to Karolina’s mouth.

  
“Is this revenge? Are you torturing me for mocking you?”

  
“I’m trying to save your life here!” Nico says while moving her hands exaggeratedly.

  
“Whoa, dramatic much.”

  
“Me? You are the dramatic one!” Nico tries to keep a straight face, but she can’t help the smile that breaks on her face. Karolina laughs and Nico’s smile grows bigger, if that is even possible. “Drink the water, Karrie.” She says softly. Karolina smiles at her and finally does as she was told.

  
“You know,” Karolina stars, between gulps. “I only complained that you took so long because I missed you.” She looks directly into Nico’s eyes when she says it, her cheeks a little flushed.

  
Nico feels she had just been dismantled and rebuilt all over. Like she just watched the world be created. Like she just found out the meaning of life. Like she had all the answers to the universe and everything made sense. And it was overwhelming.

  
“Clingy much?” Nico tries to joke around, trying to seem nonchalant when she’s actually a complete mess inside. She regrets her comment when she sees Karolina’s face fall.

  
“Sorry. Is that a problem?” Karolina is looking at the ground, fidgeting with her fingers.

  
“No.” Nico answers in a beat. When Karolina makes eye contact, she repeats. “Not at all.”

  
They stare at each other intensely, immersed in their on world. Karolina puts the half empty water bottle on the nightstand and reaches for Nico’s hand. She turns her body so she’s facing the girl that is standing, sitting on the edge of the bed with her feet touching the ground. She absentmindedly caresses Nico’s hand with her thumb, never breaking eye contact.

  
Nico lets herself enjoy the simple moment and all she’s feeling. She feels hypnotized. She could spend the rest of her life lost in Karolina. The moment it’s innocent, and it makes her excited for what is to come when time is right. What Nico hopes is as soon as possible. She could wait a day. Fuck, she would wait forever for this girl. Of course, she wouldn’t complain if tomorrow was the day. The day she could finally tell Karolina all the cliché things she thought were so stupid before she fell in love. The day she could finally kiss Karolina. Damn, kissing Karolina Dean sounds like heaven. Nico can’t help but look at the red lips of the girl she loves, who is so close to her. Fuck, she hopes tomorrow is the day.

  
Nico is so lost in her thoughts, she stumbles back when Karolina jumps forward and kisses her. She finds her balance and kisses back at first, because is like an instinct. She wanted that for so long. And it was finally happening. She kisses back because it was automatic, like their lips were made to be connected. Nico thought their first kiss was going to be magical, but she just feels panic. Because she remembers it was not the right time. Karolina was drunk. She couldn’t do this while one of them was inebriated. So, after a second, she pulls back. And it hurts to see the pain on Karolina’s face. But she has to do this.

  
“Karrie, you are drunk.” Nico explains, still holding Karolina’s waist.

  
“I’m not that drunk. And I really want this. I wanted to do this for a really long time.” Karolina admits, caressing Nico’s cheeks. Nico can feel her resolve waver, the need to have the blonde starts to consume her. When Karolina trails her thumb over Nico’s bottom lip, the shorter girl pulls back completely before she lets herself lose all control.

  
“Sorry.” Karolina looks so hurt with the distance, the rejection. She retreats to the bed, pulling her legs to her chest. She looks so small. Nico feels like someone punched through her chest and ripped her heart out. She never meant to hurt Karolina.

  
“Karrie…”

  
“I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. I understand.”

  
“Karrie, it’s not what you think.” Nico says softly, kneeling beside the bed so they were on the same eye level. Karolina still doesn’t make eye contact, looking to the opposite side of the room. Nico needed to reassure her that this wasn’t one sided. “I want this too.”

  
“You do?” Karolina’s head turns around so fast, Nico was impressed it didn’t give her whiplash. She looks so uncertain, but so hopeful. There are tears on her eyes and Nico’s heart breaks. She reaches for the blonde’s hand for comfort, to try and hold herself together.

  
“So much. I want you more than anything.” Karolina’s smile is blinding. Nico can feel her heart mending back together. She can’t help but smile back. Karolina’s smile then turns smug. “Don’t let it go to your head.” Nico rolls her eyes.

  
“ _The_ Nico ‘don’t do feelings’ Minoru is telling me she actually has feelings – _for me!_ \- and I’m not allowed to be cocky about it?”

  
“I see it’s already gotten to your head.” Nico jokes. “But things are not so clear right now.” She continues, more serious. “I want to tell you about feelings – as stupid as feelings are – but I need to do this right. I want to tell you so much… But only when you’re sober. I can’t do this when one of us is under the influence. Not when whatever happens can be blamed on alcohol. It has to be completely real, nothing clouding our minds. I need us both to see each other clearly. Okay? I want to kiss you too. I really do. So fucking much. But it can’t be right now. Okay?”

  
“Okay.” Karolina agrees weekly.

  
“Yeah?” Nico checks again.

  
“I understand. It’s just that…”

  
“What?” Nico asks worried. “Karrie, talk to me. What’s going on?”

  
“It’s just that you are making it really hard not to kiss you right now.” Karolina smirks.

  
“Oh my God, are you trying to give me a heart attack? I thought it was something serious!” Nico glares playfully at the other girl.

  
“What do you mean? I am being serious.” Karolina fakes offense, bringing a hand to her chest dramatically. They keep each other’s gaze in a mini staring contest, until they break out laughing.

  
When they finally stop laughing and look deep in each other’s eyes, there’s a spark between them. There are so many emotions being expressed in each of their faces. It’s hard to resist the urge to close the distance. Nico can’t stop herself from pushing a strand of hair that’d fallen on Karolina’s face behind her ear.

  
“Tomorrow.” Nico promises, caressing Karolina’s cheek.

  
“But I’m going to be hungover tomorrow. And I tend to forget stuff.” Karolina states scared, holding tightly onto Nico’s hand as if, if she let go, Nico would disappear.

  
“I thought you weren’t _that_ drunk.” Nico jokes.

  
“Nico! I’m serious!” Karolina scolds.

  
“Look. If you remember this tomorrow, and you don’t taste like alcohol, you can kiss me again.”

  
“I don’t taste like alcohol!” Karolina fights.

  
“Sorry to inform you, but you do. I can attest to that.” Nico keeps poking fun at the blonde.

  
“Nico! I’m serious. What if I forget?” The look of despair on Karolina’s face makes Nico go serious. She holds Karolina by the shoulders to make sure her next words are said looking into each other’s eyes.

  
“For a long time, I was so confused and so scared. But I’m not confused anymore, Karrie. I’m not scared. I know what I want. There’s no running from this. Not anymore. No matter if tomorrow you don’t remember, I will always come back to you. I’ll fight for us. Everything’s gonna be alright. I promise.” Nico rests her head on Karolina’s to make sure the girl knows she means every word. She feels light in that moment. They breathe each other’s air, feeling connected in so many ways. “Okay?”

  
Before Karolina can answer, the door to the bathroom is thrown open. They pull apart from each other and Nico stands up. Gert gets out of the bathroom in a towel, looking between the two blushing girls.

  
“Did I miss something?” She asks confused.

  
“No, I’m just leaving. There’s water on the nightstand, don’t forget to drink it and take the pill.” Says a fidgeting Nico, quickly heading for the door.

  
“Sure.” Gert agrees dumbstruck.

  
“Wait!” Karolina makes Nico stop on the doorway. “You are leaving?” She asks worried, biting her lip. Nico’s eyes instantly focus on the motion.

  
“Yeah. Going home. Tina’s probably going to be mad if I don’t go back.” It’s a lie. Karolina probably knows it. But Nico can’t bring herself to say out loud that she needs some time to soak in everything that happened tonight. She needs a moment to herself, to calm down. Her heart had been through a lot tonight. And tomorrow was going to be a big day. She needed to be on top of her game, her thoughts organized. Right now, they were just of mess of everything Karolina Dean.

  
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Karolina asks expectantly.

  
“Yeah. Tomorrow.” Nico promises and Karo sighs relieved.

  
“See you tomorrow, Nico.” Gert disrupts their moment.

  
“Right, you too, Gert. Goodnight.” Nico awkwardly waves goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She says looking to Karolina.

  
When Nico gets home, she can’t sleep. How could she? She finally admitted she is in love with her best friend. She even said it out loud. She even told Karolina. Kind of. It scared the shit out of her to say it, but it was so worth it. Because Karolina likes her back. And tomorrow everything would be clear, and she will finally be able to kiss Karolina. For real this time. She will finally have Karolina. She will finally be able to call Karolina hers. Fuck, she can’t wait for the morning to come.

  
They just had to talk it out. Nico hopes Karolina remembers everything that happened. A lot happened tonight. If Karolina forgets, Nico would have to take the lead. The idea that she might have to start from zero tomorrow gives her anxiety. But she would do it, she would tell Karo everything. She couldn’t hide what she felt anymore. She didn’t want to. Fuck anxiety, nothing was going to stop her.

  
Nico’s mind doesn’t shut down for a second. She watches the time pass while thinking about everything that happened and everything that was to come, thinking about blue eyes and plump red lips. Why does time move so slow?

  
When the clock strikes 8am, Nico decides to jump out of bed. After a quick shower, she puts on her make up and the outfit she spent all night deciding on. She plans on picking up some coffee and hangover food to take to Karolina. And Gert, of course. Though it’s probably too early for them to be awake. But she can’t stand to look at her room walls for another second, so she is going to a coffee shop to kill some time there. And by kill time, she means stress over what she is going to say when she sees Karolina and if the girl will remember yesterday. Nico hopes Karolina remembers.

  
She’s tying her black boots, when there is a knock on the door.

  
“Yeah?” Nico calls out. When no answer comes, she tries again. “Mom? Is that you?” No answer. She stands up to find out what's going on.

  
Nico opens the door to see Karolina standing there. She looks tired, but still beautiful. Always beautiful. Wait. Is super early and Karolina probably has a hangover. How did she get here? How did she even get in the house? What was she doing here? But Nico doesn’t have time to ask any questions or even say hi, because Karolina holds her face and pulls her up for a delicate kiss. Nico’s taken by surprise, but kisses back. Holy shit. She is kissing Karolina Dean. And she’s feeling all the stupid clichés of butterflies and fireworks and her right leg even goes up. It’s so fucking sweet. It’s so fucking perfect. And it’s too short for her liking.

  
“Whoa.” Is the first thing that comes out of Nico’s mouth when they pull apart. Super eloquent. Karolina’s smile could light up the whole world. But Nico is confused. She is definitely not complaining, but she has so much to say, so much to ask. “What…” She doesn’t know where to start.

  
“Sorry, do I still taste like alcohol? I swear I brushed my teeth like 5 times.” Karolina shifts from one foot to the other, but her smile doesn’t waver.

  
“You remember?” Nico asks in awe. The smile that breaks on her face matches Karolina’s.

  
“I remember everything” Karolina says, looking intensely at Nico.

  
Nico feels molten with the way Karolina is staring at her. And she doesn’t mind. She wants to feel Karolina’s touch burning her skin. She needs to feel their bodies pressed together. She can’t stand another second without those lips on hers. So she pulls Karolina down by the shirt, their lips meeting again, this time much more desperate.

  
They move into the room, closing the door behind them, their lips never parting. Karolina doesn’t waste a second before pushing Nico against the door, their bodies melding together. Nico has one arm around Karolina’s neck and the other around her waist keeping her close. She lets a whine escape her mouth when Karolina pulls back. Blue hungry eyes stare at every inch of her face until they focus on her lips. Nico legs are weak, and she’s sure the only reason she hasn’t fallen to ground is because of Karolina’s firm grip on her hips.

  
Karolina smirks at the mess she’s made of Nico’s lipstick. Nico wants to kiss that smirk away. And so she does. She wants to make Karolina’s lips bruise. The kiss is messy. But she wants more. She bites Karolina’s bottom lip and the girl groans. Nico takes advantage of her parted lips to deepen the kiss. When their tongues touch, both girls moan, the feeling too good but somehow still not enough.

  
Nico hates that she needs to breathe, because having to disconnect her lips from Karolina’s feels like a sin. She doesn’t have time to complain though, because Karolina quickly occupies herself with Nico’s neck. Nico has to bite her lip to stop any sound from leaving her mouth. Karolina is doing magic on her neck. She hisses when Karolina sucks on the spot where her neck meets her shoulder, surely leaving a mark. Nico doesn’t care. She wanted everything Karolina had to offer.

  
Karolina brings her lips back to Nico’s. The kiss this time is much slower. She pecks Nico’s lips a couple of times before resting her head on the shorter girl's.

  
“I really like you.” Karolina admits. She sounds out of breath and Nico is proud to be the one who made it happen.

  
“I really like you too.” Nico says before trying to kiss Karolina again. But the girl pulls back, smiling.

  
“And I really want to take you out. On a date.”

  
“I’d like that.” Nico agrees, smiling back. “Can I kiss you now?”

  
“No. I want to do this the right way.” Karolina caresses Nico’s sides so carefully Nico can barely focus on her words.

  
“Not kissing me right now feels wrong.”

  
“Weren’t you the one talking about doing things the right way yesterday?”

  
“But, Karrie…” Nico whines, a pout on her lips.

  
“I want to take you on a date first. You know, the cliché kind of one? I’ll pick you up, bring you flowers, open the door for you, pay the bill, drop you off at your house and, if I'm lucky, I get to kiss you for the first time on your front door. The whole package.” Nico smiles fondly at a nervous Karolina rambling.

  
“I wouldn’t mind that. But, sorry to point out, there is a flaw to your plan.”

  
“I know it won’t be our _first_ kiss, but it seems like we did this in the wrong order and I want to try a different approach. I really want this, Nico. Please?” Karolina pleads. Which was unnecessary, because Nico was incapable of saying no to Karolina.

“You always loved clichés.” Nico smirks. “It’s gonna be hard not to kiss you now that I know what that feels like. But I think I can manage for a few hours. This date is happening today right? I don’t think I can handle more than that.” It’s a lie. She could wait forever for Karolina.

  
“Today, definitely! I don’t want to wait another minute.” Karolina smiles happily when Nico agrees, and crushes her in a hug.

  
“Wait, are we going out right now?” Nico mumbles, her face pressed against Karolina’s shoulder.

  
“I mean, I actually wanted to plan something, if that’s okay.” Karolina says uncertain.

  
“It’s more than okay.” They stand there for a while, just enjoying being in each other’s embrace. “Good morning, by the way. How are you here so early?” Nico questions, breaking the silence.

  
“Oh, I set an alarm yesterday.”

  
“Aren’t you hungover?” Nico asks concerned, pulling back to look into Karolina’s eyes.

  
“I was a more preoccupied with other stuff. I was a woman on a mission, and nothing could stop me. Not even a hangover.” Karolina says, standing in a power pose. Nico laughs at the girl’s antics.

  
“Aren’t you tired though?”

  
“It was worth it.” Karolina states, making Nico blush.

  
“Okay, how about we get a few hours of sleep, so we don’t die on our date tonight?”

  
“Are you sure?”

  
“Can’t have you bailing on me tonight because you passed out of exhaustion. C’mon.”

  
They change into more comfortable clothes and lay side by side on Nico’s bed, facing each other. Nico reaches out for Karolina’s hands, and intertwine their fingers, resting them in the little space there is between them. She stares at their hands and how they are the perfect fit. Fuck, how she loves this girl. They belong together.

  
“Nico?” Karolina calls and Nico looks up into her eyes. They are shining with emotion. The moment feels charged, and Nico thinks she knows what Karolina is about to say. And she really wants to hear it. But Karolina was excited for their whole package date. And confessions seem like a part of the package. “I lo– “

  
“Wait.” Nico interrupts. Karolina looks scared. “We have our date tonight. And I’m waiting until it so I can do and say a lot of things I want to. Because you want it to be perfect, you want the real deal, and so you are getting it.” Karolina relaxes and smiles fondly at Nico. “And, if I have to wait, so do you.” Nico jokes.

  
“Okay. Sounds fair.” Karolina agrees laughing.

  
“For now, lets just sleep. So goodnight. Or good morning. Or whatever you are supposed to say to someone who is going to sleep at 9 in the morning.”

  
“And to you.” Karolina pushes herself up and leans in so she can kiss Nico’s cheek. She then turns around and pulls at Nico’s hand until she is pressed to Karolina’s back, spooning her.

  
Nico takes a content breath. She never felt happier. And things were only getting started. She couldn’t wait for their date tonight. She couldn’t wait to kiss Karolina again. She couldn’t wait to finally tell her she loves her. She couldn’t wait to hear Karolina say it back.

  
Yeah. Today was the day.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was longer than I planned. I'm a certified procrastinator, so I'm proud for finishing this. I hope it was okay. Though, could you tell the parts I was writing at 3am?


End file.
